Backlight units for display devices are often one of the largest draws on power consumption, causing battery endurance to be limited in mobile electronics. Often a large portion of the light exiting a display screen is not needed for a single user, and is vulnerable to being viewed by non-users in the line of sight. Many current privacy filters and films for laptops, monitors, and some mobile devices absorb light, thereby reducing energy efficiency of the device. Additionally, these current privacy filters and films are expensive, and are cumbersome in that they interfere with touch screen functionality and must be physically removed to enable wide-angle viewing of the display.
Thus, a need exists for techniques to reduce power consumption from the emission of excess light, and to provide privacy for a user.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements and features of one embodiment may be beneficially incorporated in other embodiments without further recitation.